Njoro is an agricultural town 18 km west south west of

Nakuru Nakuru is a city in the Great Rift Valley, Kenya, Rift Valley region of Kenya. It is the capital of Nakuru County, and was formerly the capital of Rift Valley Province. As of 2019, Nakuru had an urban and rural population of 570,674 inhabitant ...

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situated on the western rim of the Rift Valley. Njoro town was the headquarters of the former Njoro District, hived off Nakuru District. Since 2010, when Njoro District was eliminated, it has been part of the

Nakuru County Nakuru County is a county in Kenya. It is County number 32 out of the 47 Kenyan Counties. Nakuru County is a host to Kenya's Forth City – Nakuru City. On 1 December 2021, President Uhuru Kenyatta awarded a City Charter status to Nakuru, ranki ...

Geography

Njoro is 2423 meters above sea level. Njoro is a station on the meter gauge railway line between Nakuru and Kisumu.

Brief history

The town was first settled by the pastoralist tribes, Kalenjins and Maasai, before the arrival of

British British may refer to: Peoples, culture, and language * British people, nationals or natives of the United Kingdom, British Overseas Territories, and Crown Dependencies. ** Britishness, the British identity and common culture * British English, ...

settlers to the Kenya highlands. Over the years the town grew to be an important center in agricultural research, education and development. The town is home to a campus of the Kenya Agricultural Research Institute (KARI) and

Egerton University Egerton University is a public university in Kenya. It is the oldest institution of higher education in Kenya. Location The main campus of the university is located in Njoro, a small community approximately , southwest of the town of Nakuru. Th ...

is situated 5 km south from the town center. Njoro was temporarily a district on its own in

Rift Valley province Rift Valley Province ( sw, Mkoa wa Bonde la Ufa) of Kenya, bordering Uganda, was one of Kenya's eight provinces, before the Kenyan general election, 2013. Rift Valley Province was the largest and one of the most economically important provinces i ...

. The population is rising due to the fact that peace is prevailing, unlike the neighbouring towns like Molo; Mau Narok, and Likia. It is near the

Mau Forest Mau Forest is a forest complex in the Rift Valley of Kenya. It is the largest indigenous montane forest in East Africa. The Mau Forest complex has an area of . The forest area has some of the highest rainfall rates in Kenya. Mau Forest is the la ...

, which has become a global issue on environment.

Economy

The main economic activities are agribased industries including vegetable and milk processing, large-scale wheat and barley farming green house flower farming. Light manufacturing industries such as timber milling, canning,and quarrying are also a mainstay of the local economy. The economic growth of the town has been slowed due to its proximity to the provincial capital, Nakuru. Tourism has a minor but important role in the local economy. The town is part of the south Rift tourist circuit as it is on the way to the famed Masai Mara National Park. Tourists can visit the

Lord Egerton Castle Lord Egerton Castle is a house styled like a fortress located 14 km outside Nakuru, Kenya. The foundation was laid in 1938 by Maurice Egerton, 4th Baron Egerton Maurice Egerton (4 August 1874 – 30 January 1958) was the fourth Baron Egerton. ...

, which is run and maintained as a visitor and conference center by

which Lord Egerton founded as Egerton Agricultural College in the mid 1930s they can also visit kembu cottages. The town also boasts of a top golf course from Njoro Country Club and pharmaceutical facility.

People

Africa on the move - Thirst for education

Njoro is populated by people from all ethnic groups in Kenya and was a peaceful area during the Mau Mau troubles of the 1950s. However, the

Kikuyu Kikuyu or Gikuyu (Gĩkũyũ) mostly refers to an ethnic group in Kenya or its associated language. It may also refer to: * Kikuyu people, a majority ethnic group in Kenya *Kikuyu language, the language of Kikuyu people *Kikuyu, Kenya, a town in Cent ...

are now the predominant people, and thus have greatly influenced the culture of the area. Residents of Njoro lived peacefully until the politically instigated tribal clashes of the 1990s. Several people were killed and many displaced due to the laxity of the

Moi Moi or MOI may refer to: People * Moi (name), a list of people with the given name or surname * Moisés Delgado (born 1994), Spanish footballer commonly known as simply Moi * Moisés Rodríguez (born 1997), Spanish footballer commonly known as s ...

regime to maintain law and order. Issues arising from the displacement of local residents and their desired resettlement have continued to cause friction. It is the fastest growing town in Nakuru county with a lot of investment within it. The area is well equipped with agriculture having the effect from KARI and Egerton University.

Geography

Brief history

Economy

People

See also